It is with great regret that we have to announce the death of Mr. Charles M'Donald, who has represented the Kennedy division in the Labour interest since the inception of the Federal

Parliament,

Mr. M'Donald, who was one of the most popular and respected leaders of the Labour Party, was again the candidate, and was on this occasion opposed by Mr. Grosvenor A. Francis, of Charters Towers, the nominee of the Nationalist Party.

Mr. Francis automatically became member of Kennedy, and yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock he was declared elected by the divisional returning

officer at Charters Towers.

-MELBOURNE November 13

Flags floating at half mast today pro claimed the death of Mr Charles M'Don ald, who has sat in the House of Repre- sentatives for the Kennedy Division of Queensland since 1901, and who, previous to becoming a member of the Federal Parliament was a member of the Queens land Legisative assembly from 1893 to 1901. For some years Mr. M'Donald has been in failing health, and a voyage to Great Britain last year, instead of ef

fecting any improvement seemed to have accentuated his fraility. There were doubts if ho would suiuie the liomouaid jour nc'y Ho did icaeli Australia, and last session occupied his customaiy seat on tho Laboiii benches, but Mia nuable to lake patt in the debates While not unexpected the end cime suddenlj at his home. Hughenden, Studlej aienue Kew, enh lins moilun-, following a sttol»o on Snttirdai Hnd Ah Al Donald hied in othci 24 JlouiB a bj election probably would limo oieuired in the Kennedy electoiate As it ii, the eient has lestilted m tho election ot tho Nationalist candidato {Mr <i A francis) Bom in Melbourne in ]80l. Air Al Donald went to Queensland nt nu enly ngc, and hied nt Chattel» ?Towers, tho homo of his father, the late Air T M Donald Mtor leaimg school Mi M'Donald becnniL i wutchmnkei Politics, houeiei, claimed lum, and he was one of tho founders of tho Libour Pnitj ot Queenslnnd, tal mg Ins seat m tho Queensland Assembly ns the member

for the rimders division in 1803

"FIGHTING MAC"

Tach election sim lum returned, and when at 1 cdcration he foioool» the State loi the Common« ealth the electora of Kennedj elected lum, and remained faithful to lum thiotighout 1 he eight tear«, ho spent ni the Quoenshnd As sembl», weio maiked bj stoimy scenes in which ho often figured \c\\ piomi

nentlj ' Fighting AInc" wis the name gil en to lum bl his nssoentos nnd the public, ind 1 c. i I ?*' it coming into

THE LATE MR. CHARLES

M'DONALD, M.H.R.,

whose death is announced from Mel-

bourne.

serious conflict with the Speaker on moic than one occasion an experience which wa** also shared by some Df his colleagues When letmned to the lust lederal Parliament \fi M Donild was one of a gioup of Iß Labotti members His know- ledge of financial affans in which ho had i-pecialiiäcd and Pailiamentaij prac-

tice emly niniked lum out foi the post of Chaiininn of Committees, and to that position he ttas elected in 1'IOtl and he tctcd m tint capacity until 1910 11 Tuly of tint 3 ear he wns chosen as Spcnkei and occupied the Chnu with dignitj and stuct impartiality until June, 11)11 lu the following lilly, when Air lisher ii as once mote Pi uno Al mister ho was itain elected Speikei, and con tinned in that capacite until his Pnilj waa defeated in 1017 In his eailj man hood Ali Al'Domlcl possessed good phjstque, and figuied piomnientlj as an athlete; He was a lueleas cjclisl and dilling one cniiipnign cycled 1000 miles n

mode of locomotion w Inch has, since been adopted hy Mr dahli when contesting oi Msiting the division of Angas, South »\us tiilii His hobin wita painting ¡nil he wielded i skilful biiihh ni both oils ind wntei colouis Air Al Donald is sur i ned In lui wife and daughtei who is the wife, of the Duectoi of Aintiou (Lieut Colonel Bun»mead)

sion of Kennedy bIhiII not issue House of Ropiejientatnt» ballot papets to the Ken neilj* clectots to-moirow. Semite ballot papers of rouise will be issued to all toteis, and absent voteis'_ ballot panel 8 to eleetois loting in the division of Ken- nedy as absent *.ote$s of other illusions of Queensland. It will not be piacticable foi the nistinotions to leach all the pie suling officeis in the Kennedy eleetoiate, inasmuch ns many of the polling place», have no tcleginphie or telephone com- munication. Consequently many ballot papéis will bo issued, not only in the illusion of Keunedj*, but to Kennedj absent \oteis attending polling places in othei illusions, and these, no doubt, will be maikod by the votéis concerned These ballot papets, however, will not be counted or sciutnnsed, but when tho ballot boxet, leach the i anona counting offices they will be assembled and put aside in scaled paicelb

PROVISIONS OF THE ACT.

The Commonwealth Electoial Act pio

viiles*

" lOJb. In the case of tho tleotli of any candidate befoie the date of election the deposit lodged by bim shall be letuincd to his pcisonal lepicsentdliic.

"100. The Commonwealth Electoial Oflirer or Divisional Returning Officei shall declare tho candidates nominated du1»- elected if no glentor number ino nominated than mo lcquiied to be elected; but otlieiwise the pioceetlingB shall stand adjourned to polling day.

"107. If after the nominations have keen declared and before polling day any candidate dies and tho candidates re- maining are not greater In number than the candidates required to be elected they shall forthwith be doclared to be elected and the writ returned."

If a candidate should d10 on election day aftei the polling had commenced the \otes cast would bo counted in the ordin

MR. GROSVENOR A. FRANCIS,

who automatically becomes member of the House of Representatives by the death of Mr. C M'Donald, his op-

ponent in the election.

ary waj*, and if the deceased candidate lind obtainetl n majority a by-election would be necessary. A bj*-election, of course, also wotilel be necessary if n candidate died between polling day anil the return of the writ.

PRIME MINISTER'S SYMPATHY.

MELBOURNE, November 13.

On belinlf of the Commonwealth Minis- try the Prime Minister (Air. Bruce) to dnj' send the following telegraphic message to Ure. M'Donald: "On behalf of the CommonVealth Government X desire to convej' to yourself anti family our deepest sympathy in your sail loss. The services rendered by j-our late lrusbnnd in the in- terests of Australia, and the ¡»enl and ability witlt which he devoted himself to his public duties, will long bo remem- bered ivith gratitude by the people of this country. S. Al. Bruce, Prime